This invention relates to ventilation systems for vehicles, and in particular, to adjustable air vents for snowmobiles for adjusting an amount of ambient air permitted to flow into engine compartments of the snowmobiles.
Recreational vehicles and more particularly snowmobiles, generally operate in cooler ambient temperatures. As such, air cooled engines (usually 2-cycle) are often used as a power source. In some newer models of snowmobiles, liquid cooled engines (either 2-cycle or 4-cycle) having heat exchangers are also used. It is generally necessary to have an inflow of air (called xe2x80x9cram airxe2x80x9d) into the engine compartment to either cool the heat exchanger for the liquid cooled engine or to flow pass and remove heat from the cooling fins of the air cooled engine.
It has been found, however, that when the snowmobile operates at extremely cold temperatures, the engine can be so overcooled by the inflow of ram air, that its efficiency decreases. Furthermore, when operating in deep snow, snow may enter through the ventilation openings into the engine compartment and again overly cool the engine or adversely affect other mechanical systems. For instance, the snow can contact hot surfaces of the engine and melt or turn to steam. The melted snow or steam can then come into contact with cold surfaces and refreeze. The resulting buildup of ice can prevent proper operation of the vehicle systems, including, for example, the torque converter
Thus, there is a need to have adjustable ventilation vents that can be quickly and easily opened and closed by an operator without tools and preferably, while wearing gloves or mittens, during different conditions of operation.
Sliding-type air vents are known in the prior art. See for instance, Hansen, U.S. Pat. No. 1,638,847, issued Aug. 16, 1927. Hansen discloses a shutter for an automobile radiator having a first plate 10 with a plurality of slots 14 and a second plate 18 having a like number of slots 19. The two plates are slidably engaged with one another to allow plate 18 to be moved from a first position, where the slots 14 and the slots 19 are aligned and air can pass therethrough, to a second position, where the slots 14 and the slots 19 are not aligned and air does not flow therethrough. The sliding plate 18 is actuated via a remote pin 35 mounted to the automobile dashboard through actuating wires 31 and 32 positioned in tubes 33 and 34.
Pratt, U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,461, issued Nov. 17, 1987, discloses a similar sliding air vent. Pratt uses a thermoelongating actuator 82 mounted to levers 74 and 76 mounted between the stationary and slidable grills to vertically move the slidable grill to an opened or closed position, as desired.
However, neither of these prior art devices is simple enough or easily manually operated by an operator wearing gloves or mittens so as to be applicable to use in a recreational vehicle, and especially a snowmobile.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple, inexpensive cooling air flow control device for a vehicle, and particularly a snowmobile, that is easily manually operable by an operator without tools, even when the operator is wearing gloves or mittens.
Therefore, this invention provides an adjustable air vent for a vehicle. The air vent includes a stationary grill adapted to be mounted to the vehicle, the stationary grill having at least one air aperture and an engaging surface. In addition, a movable grill is adapted to be movably mounted with respect to the stationary grill. The movable grill has at least one air aperture and an engaging surface adapted to engage the engaging surface of the stationary grill. The movable grill moves with respect to the stationary grill from an open position where the at least one aperture of the stationary grill is aligned with the at least one aperture of the movable grill to allow air to flow therethrough to a closed position where the at least one aperture of the stationary grill is not aligned with the at least one aperture of the movable grill to reduce the flow of air through the vent.
The stationary grill also includes a projecting closing actuator and a projecting opening actuator. The movable grill includes a projecting closing actuator positioned proximate the stationary grill projecting closing actuator such that squeezing the two together moves the movable grill to the closed position. The movable grill also includes a projecting opening actuator positioned proximate the stationary grill projecting opening actuator such that squeezing the two together moves the movable grill to the open position.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of the adjustable air vents are fixed to an underside of a snowmobile hood. The provision of the actuators that can be easily manipulated by squeezing together to open and close the vents allows the operator of the snowmobile to easily adjust cooling air flow to the engine without having to remove mittens or gloves and without using tools. Thus, the simple, easily operated vents of the present invention increase both the efficiency in adjusting the air flow and the comfort of the operator so doing.
The foregoing and other objects, features, characteristics and advantages of the present invention as well as the methods of operation and functions of the related elements of structure, and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will be apparent from the following detailed description and the appended claims, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of the specification, wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in the various figures.